1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

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jumps off at 0400. 14th Inf crosses in Donaustauf–
Sulzbach area and 5th, to left, in vicinity of Frengkofen;
bridgehead extends as far S as Regensburg–
Straubing road and several small towns are overrun.
Assault regts are each reinf by bn of 66th Inf, which
cross by boat and ferry. 13th Armd Div moves from
Eschenau assembly area to vicinity of Parsberg,
in preparation for a crossing of the Danube. In III
Corps area, 14th Cav Gp, on left flank of corps,
patrols actively while awaiting bridge construction.
14th Armd Div crosses the Altmuhl, CCB over
bridge at Beilngries and CCR, preceded by elements
of 86th Div and followed by CCA, over bridge at
Gungolding; with 3 combat commands in assault,
proceeds rapidly S to the Danube, CCB reaching
Neustadt, CCA Menning, and CCR Mailing. 99th
Div’s 394th and 395th Regts also drive rapidly to N
bank of the Danube from Altmuhl bridgeheads.
341st Inf, 86th Div, crosses the Altmuhl at Gungolding
before dawn and advances quickly toward
the Danube; 342d Inf, after being relieved in Eichstatt
area by 343d, speeds to the Danube at Ingolstadt,
capturing that town, and begins to cross the
river.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army’s XV
Corps area, 45th and 42d Divs attack across the
Danube, 45th with 3 regts abreast in vicinity of Merxheim
and Bergoldsheim and 42d employing 242d and
232d Regts in vicinity of Schaefstall and Altisheim;
establish firm bridgeheads. In XXI Corps area, CCA
of 12th Armd Div is relieved of Dillingen
bridgehead by 3d Div and moves to assembly
area. CCB establishes contact with 63d Div at Bubesheim
and Guenzburg and then assembles. 101st
Cav Gp, ordered to reconnoiter SE in 12th Armd
Div zone, advances to Wertach R at Hiltenfingen
and takes bridge intact. 3d Div expands Dillingen
bridgehead E and SE toward Werk Kanal and Augsburg,
overrunning several towns and villages; 30th
Inf crosses into bridgehead. 8th and 12th Regts, 4th
Div, push S from the Danube to Dinkelscher-ben–
Horgau area; 22d, leaving elements to guard Lauingen
bridge, assembles S of the Danube. 63d Div
crosses the Danube in force in Leipheim–Guenz-burg
area and clears Bubesheim. In VI Corps area, bridge
is completed across the Iller at Voehringen
in morning and used by elements of CCA of 10th
Armd Div and 71st Inf of 44th Div. CCA speeds
SE through Babenhausen to Mindelheim. CCB
drives S along E side of Iller Canal to its objective,
Memmingen, where many Allied war prisoners are
liberated. CCR follows CCA to Babenhausen, then
drives E toward Landsberg, advance elements reaching
Wertach R at Turkheim. 90th Cav Rcn Sq s
creens left flank of div. Upon completing mop up
of Neu Ulm, 324th Inf of 44th Div starts to assembly
area; 71st and 114th Regts continue forward
[ 26 APRIL 1945 ]
behind armor. 103d Div crosses the Danube NE of
Ulm: 409th Inf drives to Guenz R in Ellzee area;
410th reaches line Asch–Weiszenhorn; 411th assembles
in reserve S of the Danube.
In Fr 1st Army area, 1st Corps, closing along
the Swiss border from Basel to Lake Constance,
completes encirclement of enemy in Black Forest.
Noose about the enemy is closed as Valluy Groupement
joins forces with rest of corps; CC3 reverts to
1st Armd Div. Enemy pocket W of Tutlingen is
rapidly being destroyed. Groupement Le Bel enters
Constance.
EASTERN EUROPE—Moscow announces fall of
port and city of Stettin to troops of Second White
Russian Front who have forced the lower reaches
of the Oder and broken through German defenses
W of the river. Street fighting continues in Berlin,
with Germans gradually yielding to overwhelming
pressure. Some elements of First White Russian
Front push NE of Berlin while others clear region
W and SW of Frankfurt. Troops of First Ukrainian
Front take Torgau and Strehla, on W bank of the
Elbe. Fighting for Silesian capital of Breslau continues,
with Moscow reporting gains in W part of
city. Troops of Second Ukrainian Front seize armaments
center of Bruenn (Czechoslovakia). On northern
front, forces of Third White Russian Front
begin clearing Frische Nehrung (East Prussia), crossing
canal to this narrow strip of land from Pillau.
ITALY—15th Army Group: In U.S. Fifth Army’s
IV Corps area, TF Darby of 10th Mtn Div enters
Verona at 0600 and finds 88th Div (II Corps) in
control; starts along E side of Lake Garda to cut off
enemy escape routes. 85th Div establishes bridgehead
across the Adige in Verona area and, after pushing
through Adige Line, which is largely unmanned, in
hills to N, passes to army control. 1st Div of BEF
reaches Collecchio, SW of Parma, where enemy
pocket is eliminated. 34th Div drives along Highway
9 toward Piacenza but is halted a little short,
at Nure R, by delaying force. 371st Inf, detached
from 92d Div, has been pinched out on left flank of
corps and passes to army control. CCA, 1st Armd
Div, starts W along Highway 11 toward Lake Como
to block enemy escape between there and Lake
Garda. In II Corps area, 91st Div reaches the Adige
at Legnago and starts crossing. S African 6th Armd
Div expands Po bridgehead toward the Adige. From
Verona, 88th Div turns E toward Vicenza.
In Br Eighth Army’s 13 Corps area, NZ 2d Div
reaches the Adige W of Badia and establishes bridgehead
across it, night 26–27. In 5 Corps area, 56th
Div reaches the Adige above Rovigo and secures
bridgehead.
BURMA—In Br Fourteenth Army’s 4 Corps area,
Ind 17th Div, continuing overland toward Rangoon,
reaches Daik--u.